I've never heard of Flight Attendants sitting with children. I'm not sure if my crew would have been thrilled with that idea! The moms would take their children to the back lavs, near the galleys and we would watch them there (where we could still do our other duties). If the child cried, I'd hold them outside the door and instruct the mother to talk to them.

I personally found it easier to take them with me into the lavs when I flew myself with small babies and toddlers.

I don't recall if you said which airline, but some apparently won't even allow one lap infant + one seated

Air france: Each passenger may accompany only one infant. To travel with 2 infants, a 2nd passenger is necessary.

united international: One adult customer traveling with more than one infant must purchase an adjacent seat for each child, at the applicable fare.

As vicarious_MR'er mentioned, one other consideration is that the aviation regulations of some countries do not permit one adult to be responsible for two infants (under the age of two), regardless of whether the infants are in a car seat or not. This can become an issue if your flight is code-shared. Here is a link to a Canadian FAQ site and the associated regulation.

Delta allows two infants under 2 per adult, and I think it would be uncomfortable but doable.

The idea of hiring another passenger on the plane to "nanny" one of the kids sounds like it could work in theory but might be harder to accomplish in practice, especially with your flight coming up so soon. How you'd connect with a reasonable person enough ahead of time, I don't know. And two weeks out it could be getting expensive to buy the extra seat for one of your children--it's unlikely that you could change the ticket from your husband's name to the child's.

No, they don't. (Not lap infant, anyway... there can be two per adult while at least one is in a paid seat.)
http://www.delta.com/planning_reserv...ares/index.jsp

I'm baffled at the the talk of another passenger is going to hold and care for a child that is not their own. Even the suggestion of it blows my mind, honestly. Refer to the other thread about seating UMs not near adults and such due to mistreatment of the children in some cases. So way above and beyond the fact that it's just unfathomable to think that some person flying in the same plane as you is even remotely interested in caring for your child to save you a few bucks, how can you be so sure it's not chester the molester you've just entrusted your kid to?

I can't wrap my head around it from so many different directions.

I'm a parent to two little ones, and I think I'd laugh yself all the way to Europe if someone approached me and asked me to hold and watch their child as a lap infant for the entire flight.

It actually happened on one of my flights. Bear in mind, this was over 20 years ago...

A couple showed up with four children, four babies, none of whom were their own. They worked for an adoption agency and the children were going to families in the U.S. They did have the other seats but no car seats. We were not sure what to do. If the story hadn't been so dramatic, I doubt we would have taken them but a Polish couple sitting nearby, who barely spoke English, were so taken with the story, they volunteered to hold two of the children for take-off and landing.

I'm not sure what the FAA would have had to say if they had been on board but it did make for a cute, if kind of untraditional scene with these four adults and four small Indian children off to their new lives in the U.S.

The couple themselves didn't have their own children yet but they managed pretty well.

I do believe the car seat is required but double check.

I think daregale was referring to that you are allowed 2 infants on board granted you bought one of them a seat. I think it was suggested earlier that some airlines won't allow 1 parent to be with 2 infants no matter how many seats you had. I am not arguing that but I have a hard time believing that would be the case, because what happens when a mother travels with twins with out the dad.

I agree it is pretty far fetched to think you are going to find someone to look after your kid on the filght, the chances drop to nil if you are asking them to take a lap child for you.

However I think traveling with two kids with 2 seats between the three of you is doable, although not enjoyable. And I would think you will probably be able to get someone to look after the kids if you have to go use the toilet.

Paperwork
 

All the advice about flying aside, don't forget to get a letter signed by your husband/baby daddy (and witnessed by someone else is a good idea) that says that you are allowed to take the kids internationally - and a phone number where he can be reached etc, as customs inspectors will likely ask to see proof that you're not kidnapping your children.

Here's an example from Foreign Affairs Canada.

I've never had an FA help me with my children, and I've never seen an FA sit in a seat to watch a passenger's child. I also think it is absolutely crazy to think another passenger will act as an unpaid nanny. This is one of the strangest things I've read on FT.

I hate one post wonders who never come back and tell the end of the story!

ONLY if the country you're going to (i.e. Canada) requires it but most don't.

I've flown alone with my kids many, many times to several countries and no one has ever asked for a letter.

Find out in the country that requires it and what exactly they want. Don't just write any old letter. Chile, for example, wants the letter in Spanish.

Now back on the subject!

Hi Eclipsepearl...

I believe what billybob123 is referring to is not about the entry/visitation requirements of any particular country but rather the possibility of parental child abduction. Carrying documentary evidence from the other parent or guardian can certainly aid to prevent any misunderstandings. Here are a few additional sites with information:

Foreign Affairs Canada: International Child Abductions: A Manual for Parents
U.S. Department of State: International Parental Child Abduction
Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction

I don't want parents to be scared into thinking that this is a requirement. It is in some places, not in others.

A letter does little or nothing to stop parental abductions. It's a superficial solution and doesn't really stop a determined parent.

For a U.S. passport, both parents have to sign so for Americans entering the U.S., it's assumed that any solo parents have permission by mere fact the children have U.S. passports.

I have never been asked for a letter in all the visits I've made alone with my kids and certainly, the letter a few countries (such as Canada) ask for do little or nothing to stop child abductions.

I also don't want a parent headed to one of the few countries which ask for these letter to get delayed and/or held back because they had the wrong date, language, etc. Don't just write any old letter. Canada's example might not work. Get the exact specifications and confirm that a letter is indeed required.

At the check-in counter:
- Have these bags been in your possession the entire time?
- Yes
- Has anyone asked you to carry any bags not your own?
- Nope..... well kinda
- Kinda?
- Well, someone gave me this baby to hold, but I'm pretty sure she's not a bomb.
- ...

In-flight, how would it be possible to go to the restroom or eat? How about feeding the children? It's very rare for me to see FAs help with infants on US airlines' flights in any cabin of service -- even when talking about such young infants with paid seats in first.

This thread certainly does help address some of those questions.

My wife absolutely refuses to fly with 2 kids (3 and 9 months) alone so naturally I will make the trip and come back and fly back to pick up the family.
Good luck to you!